Fact or Fiction: Vintage Motorcycle Brands

Many Americans are obsessed with vintage motorcycles. Ask 10 enthusiasts which brands are the best and you just might get 10 different answers. Take a spin at our motorcycle quiz to see what you know about these vintage bikes and the companies that make them.

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Question 1 of 20

T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a Harley-Davidson aficionado.

Fact

Fiction

Lawrence was definitely a motorcycle aficionado, but was the owner of numerous Brough Superiors and was driving one in the crash that killed him.

Question 2 of 20

Honda had a successful ad campaign featuring the tag line, "You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda."

Fact

It's those Honda ads that are credited with widening the popularity of motorcycling.

Fiction

Question 3 of 20

At the turn of the last century, there were only two motorcycle manufacturers in America.

Fact

Fiction

There were hundreds of motorcycle makers at the beginning of the 20 century, although many simply slapped motors on bicycles.

Question 4 of 20

The Harley-Davidson Company was launched in 1953.

Fact

Fiction

The company was started 50 years earlier in 1903 by two brothers and a friend.

Question 5 of 20

The value of a vintage motorcycle is determined exclusively by its age.

Fact

Fiction

Many factors contribute to the value of a bike, including its condition, the number originally made and whether anybody famous rode one.

Question 6 of 20

Vintage bikes are generally considered those made before 1974.

Fact

Fiction

There's no set age that makes a bike vintage. In fact some experts believe Japanese models made in the 1980s can be considered vintage.

Question 7 of 20

The Sears & Roebuck Catalog once sold motorcycles.

Fact

During its 100 years in existence, the Sears & Roebuck Catalog sold motorcycles at various times.

Fiction

Question 8 of 20

No British-made vintage motorcycles are highly sought after.

Fact

Fiction

Many motorcycles made in the United Kingdom are valuable and sought after, including those by companies like Brough Superior and Triumph.

Question 9 of 20

Philip Conrad Vincent, the founder of Vincent-HRD, studied at Oxford.

Fact

Fiction

Vincent actually studied mechanical engineering at Cambridge.

Question 10 of 20

Steve McQueen, James Dean and Bob Dylan all rode Triumph motorcycles.

Fact

All three superstars rode the British brand, giving an invaluable boost to the motorcycle's image.

Fiction

Question 11 of 20

Cafe racing describes a type of racing that involves drinking coffee while riding.

Fact

Fiction

Popular in the 1960s and 1970s, cafe racing involved racing for the duration of a song.

Question 12 of 20

Flathead and Knucklehead are models made by Honda.

Fact

Fiction

Both are popular motorcycles made by Harley-Davidson.

Question 13 of 20

T.E. Lawrence named many of his Brough Superior motorcycles after Queen Victoria.

Fact

Fiction

Lawrence named his bikes George I, George II etc., up through George VII, the bike he was riding during his fatal accident.

Question 14 of 20

Elvis Presley rode only Hondas.

Fact

Fiction

Presley rode Hondas, Harleys and many other types of motorcycles.

Question 15 of 20

BMW motorcycles are known by many fans as "the thinking man's motorcycle."

Fact

Devotees of the German brand praise the company for the bikes' elegant engineering and simple maintenance.

Fiction

Question 16 of 20

Moto Guzzi motorcycles have been in production for 100 years.

Fact

Fiction

The company is on its way to 100. It celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2011.

Question 17 of 20

Japanese-made bikes in the 1970s put pressure on other companies to improve their motorcycles' reliability.

Fact

In the years before Japanese companies made a big splash in the motorcycle business, many riders had to spend as much time fixing their bikes as they did riding them.

Fiction

Question 18 of 20

Before it made motorcycles, Kawasaki made furniture.

Fact

Fiction

The Japanese company made just about everything but furniture, including ships, jets and heavy machinery before it got into the motorcycle business.

Question 19 of 20

It's impossible to buy a vintage motorcycle for less than $100,000.

Fact

Fiction

Vintage bikes can cost as little as $100 to $200 or as much as $1 million depending on several factors.

Question 20 of 20

At the time of their release, some Brough Superior motorcycles cost as much as a house.

Fact

Known as the Rolls Royce of motorcycles, Brough Superiors were made for affluent people who could spend on a bike what others would spend on a place to live.